Transparent containers for housing bottled articles



June 26, 1962 E. DE KOLB 3,040,878

TRANSPARENT CONTAINERS FOR HOUSING BOTTLED ARTICLES Filed July 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l F- INVENTOR. 7!; 4 J 5 ,e 5

June 26, 1962 E. DE KOLB 3,040,878

TRANSPARENT CONTAINERS FOR HOUSING BOTTLED ARTICLES Filed July 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

United States Patent Oflfice 3,040,878 Patented June 26, 1962 3,040,878 TRANSPARENT CONTAINERS FOR HOUSING BOTTLED ARTICLES Eric de Kolb, New York, N.Y., assignor to Coty, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 21, 1960, Ser. No. 44,337 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-4534) This invention relates to containers for perfume bott-les or the like.

Bottles or jars for perfume or other toilet preparations are most often of breakable material such as glass and they are normally packaged in boxes elaborately constructed to support the container against breakage particularly during transportation. Moreover such boxes have ornamental and identifying embellishments which add to the cost of the article. While a transparent container would obviate this objection since the consumer could view the bottle therethrough, this idea has not been adopted because the transparent container would not adequately support a bottle against breakage as required.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a transparent plastic container which is so constructed as to most adequately support a perfume bottle or the like while permitting complete viewing of the bottle therethrough. I have effected this result by making the container of relatively rigid plastic such as polystyrene and forming integral ledges on thickened ends which support the bottle at corresponding ends thereof. Although the plastic is relatively rigid it is made to still have enough resiliency so that closure of the container effects a firm grasp of the bottle which adequately anchors it in place. At the same time, means are provided to space the bottle, on all sides thereof, from adjacent sides of the container so that the resiliency of the container cannot cause breakage to the bottle by pressure against the container sides. In other words, the sides of the container are not permitted to travel sufliciently inwardly under normal pressure so as to risk damage to the bottle. Adequate support of the container sides to avoid this result is further insured by providing thickened ends for the container which also serve the additional function of permitting the above mentioned integral ledges to be formed therein.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the container with a composite bottle and cap housed therein;

FIGURE 2 is a top view without the composite bottle;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view without the composite bottle;

FIGURE 4 is a side view in elevation with the composite bottle shown therein;

FIGURE 5 is an opposite side view in elevation;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective open view of the container;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary View of the top end of the container as taken along the line 77 of FIG- URE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional View the line 8-8 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view the line 9-9 of FIGURE 1.

The body of the container comprises the concaveconvex sides 10 and 11 which are pivotally connected by the hinge 12 the elements of which are conventional comprising as it does an integral elongated hinge body, hinge ears which are respectively integral with the con rtainer sides, and metal hinge pins, all as shown in FIGURE 6. An integral latch 13 is formed on side as taken along as taken along 2 '11, the latch engaging a ledge on side 10 as is conventional.

The container is formed of polystyrene which is transparent and is somewhat resilient depending upon thickness thereof. In the present application, the side 10 is of a thickness of A of an inch.. This provides sufiicient sturdiness for the container as a whole although it is still of such resiliency as to be subject to some deformation in response to pressure. Side 11 is of similar thickness.

Each of the sides 10 and 11 is provided with respective integral end sections 14 and 15. These end sections are actually twice as thick of an inch) as the thickness of the sides so that the ends are substantially rigid and of substantially no resiliency. The end sections 16 and 17 of side 11, although of somewhat different shape, are also of the additional thickness recited.

The thickened end sections 14-17, render the container very sturdy so that the relatively thinner sides 10 and 11 are supported against undue or excessive deformation in response to pressure and thus avoid breakage of the enclosed bottle. The relatively thinner sides not only conserve cost of manufacture but permit better viewing of the bottle. The end sections of each side are complementary to the end sections of the other side to form enclosed ends for the container in the closed position as indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The extra thickness of the ends 14-17 permits ledges 18 and 19 to be formed therein. These ledges support the respective ends of a composite bottle and cap as shown in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5. Thus, referring to FIGURE 1, the upper end 20 of a composite bottle and its cap rests upon ledge 19 while the bottom end 21 of the bottle rests upon ledge 18.

It will be observed in FIGURES 4 and 5 that the bottle sides are spaced from the sides It] and 11 of the container. In fact, apart from end support, the entire composite bottle and cap is spaced inwardly from the sides of the container. Accordingly, the entire bottle is suspended within the container by supporting only the respective ends thereof on the top and bottom ledges respectively.

By virtue of the above construction, the bottle is rendered completely visible from the outside of the container and it is further most sturdily supported therein. The specific formations of the ledges 18 and 19 are designed to be complementary to the bottle ends so as to firmly grasp the same. Notwithstanding the decreased thickness and consequent resiliency of the sides 10 and 11 per se, they will not tend to deform or distort inwardly, pursuant to pressure because of the thick sturdy end sections 14 to 18 which also serve to permit supporting ledges to be formed therein.

I have accordingly disclosed herein a transparent plastic bottle container which eliminates the necessity of a conventional box with its required elaborate construction and ornamentation while still providing adequate support as above described.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

11. The combination with a composite glass bottle and cap of a container therefor, said container comprising transparent plastic hinged sides and a closure therefor and integral end sections formed on the respective ends of each side, the end sections of each side being complementary to the end sections of the other side to form enclosed ends for the container in the closed position, integral ledges formed by inward recesses on the inner wall of said end sections, the ends of said composite 3 glass bottle and cap'being supported on said ledges and the remainder thereof being spaced inwardly from the sides of the container.

2. The combination according to claim 1 and wherein said end sections are'twice the thickness of said sides, said sides being resilient and said end sections being relatively rigid pursuant to said additional thickness.

3. A container for a breakable glass article, said container comprising transparent plastic hinged sides, and integral end sections formed on the respective ends of each side, the end sections of each side being complementary to the end sections of the other side to form enclosed ends for the container in the closed position, said end sections being inwardly recessed within the container to form integral ledges adapted to support a glass article within the container, said end sections being twice the thickness of said sides, said sides being resilient and said end sections being relatively rigid pursuant to said additional thickness.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,136,099 Carter Apr. 20, 1915 2,470,342 De Luisi May 17, 1949 2,724,208 Nelson Nov. 22, 1955 2,915,640 Grubel Dec. 1", 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 290,389 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1953 

